Powerless
by kdzl
Summary: She was falling apart before their very eyes, and even now they were powerless to stop it.  COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

The soft beep of machines cut through the silent hospital room.

"I still don't understand how this could have happened." JJ's father whispered as he held her hand protectively.

Dave looked away guiltily from his position in the corner of the room, hating every minute of this.

Morgan, standing next to Rossi, couldn't help but stare at the white bandages beginning to soak up the red bloodied mass of raw skin he knew was surrounding her neck.

"I—" Hotch spoke up, a barely audible crack the only indication of the raw emotion that churned inside of him. "I don't know."

Will who hadn't left JJ's side in days, his scruff having turned into a thick beard as he sat beside her, stirred slightly against the uncomfortable chair. He hadn't spoken to anyone, hadn't looked away.

Because the woman he loved was laying there, hooked up to machines, and they didn't know whether she'd wake up.

Clearing his throat, the broken Cajun spoke up for the first time in days, his voice thick, "How did this happen?" He asked, tearing his eyes away from his girlfriend's unconscious form to look at the three profilers with pleading eyes.

Before now, they had avoided looking at one another. But now, the three profilers shared a glance at Will's gaze that seemed to bore into their very souls.

Because how did you describe hell?

Hotch sighed, stepping forward as the leader. "It started with the raid…"


	2. Chapter 2

**A week earlier...**

_'Agent Hotchner, this is Jennifer,' _Hotch frowned at the call wondering why he felt there was an underlying message he just wasn't getting.

"JJ, where are you?" Hotch asked, stepping away from the others who were clearing the rest of the large loading area of the warehouse.

_'I'm not going to make it to the meeting today, and I just wanted to let you know.'_

"Meeting?" Hotch tried to stop her, still confused.

_'I've got to go.'_

"JJ, what—" He tried to ask, only to be cut off by the dial tone.

That was odd.

_"Hotch, I've got a blood trail"_ Morgan radioed through the transceiver.

Hotch forced away the feeling of dread that rose in his stomach and stepped toward the large semi-truck parked in the middle of the large warehouse.

Rossi cleared the cab of the truck, lowering his gun, "Clear." He yelled out, sighing a breath of relief.

"Hotch, this is weird man." Derek sighed, looking around again just to be certain he wasn't missing something.

He still felt like someone was watching them.

"I agree, I've got a bad feeling about this." Dave murmured as he tucked his gun back in its holster.

_"Second story is clear." _Emily's voice announced through the FBI radio.

"The informant was certain. This is supposed to be the place." Hotch reminded the other agents, coming to look at the blood trail beginning at Derek's feet.

"Did you ever think he might be _lying?_" Morgan retorted. "I mean, it seems too good to be true. An UnSub kills three people and just _happens_ to have set up in a warehouse where some junkie shoots up?"

"It's just as likely he was paid off. This could all be part of a trap." Rossi mused, coming to stand near the others.

"A trap for what?" Hotch mused, not entirely rejecting the conclusion, but having come to the same road block in his mind. "For the _BAU?_ It seems a little more unlikely than that we caught a break in the case."

Looking down at the smeared blood that led to the back of the semi, the three men sighed in unison. Hotch nodded to Morgan and Rossi who stood on either side of him as he grabbed the large handle of the door and flung it open quickly.

The three men pointed their guns, quickly scanning the space for any threat that might jump out at them as a light flickered on illuminating the container.

A woman lay on the floor of the large metal box as if haphazardly discarded like a piece of trash. Keeping his gun out—just in case—Derek approached the unconscious woman, slowly turning her to see if she needed help.

"JJ?" Derek gasped, tucking his gun into the back of his pants as Rossi jumped into the semi to help. "What the hell happened to you? "

"We need an ambulance." Rossi ordered into the transceiver as Hotch rushed into the container to help.

"Is she breathing?" Hotch asked, shedding his coat and kneeling beside his fallen agent.

"Yeah," Dave sighed with relief while Derek knelt down beside them, "but it feels like she has a fever, she's burning up."

A creak sounded at the open end of the container and the three men, huddled over JJ's form, snapped toward the door to gape in horror as they realized they were trapped.

"Hey!" Derek yelled as he rushed forward and banged his hand on the metal. "Help!" He knocked quickly, pounding heavily on the metal doors.

"She's not bleeding. _Emily, we need an ambulance now._" Dave announced into the com. "_Emily?_" He asked again, cursing as his urgency was met only with static. "Coms are down." He informed the others.

"Cell phones too." Hotch murmured as he checked his phone.

_"_Damn it, we need help in here!" Derek yelled pounding heavily on the door.

"Morgan." Hotch censured in a harsh whisper. Pulling out his gun, he aimed it at the closed door as the men inside the metal box distinctly heard the latching outside. "Dave, cover JJ. There's a possibility of a ricochet."

He fired once, all three men ducking as they prepared for the reverberating bullet to strike them. The bullet clanged against the metal, shooting it back at odd angles.

Just then, a thick fog seemed to hiss from hoses that had before seemed hidden along the upper edges of the container as the entire floor moved forward, sending Hotch and Morgan tumbling to the ground.

"What—" Derek coughed, his head spinning as he involuntarily inhaled the gas.

Hotch opened his mouth to speak, though his tongue felt thick and his eyes drooped heavily. _'It was a trap_.' Was the last conscious thought that went through his mind before his world was covered in blackness.

* * *

Hotch blinked as a bright white surface came into view.

_What the hell?_

He sat up quickly, struck with a sudden dizziness that made him nauseous.

He closed his eyes for a minute, fighting the way the world seemed to tumble before opening them gingerly once more.

Looking around the white expanse, he realized he was in a room. Rossi was pacing the large, empty room and JJ lay cradled on Morgan's lap.

"How's JJ?" Hotch asked, surprised at how his words were slurred.

Apparently neither Rossi, nor Morgan had noticed he had woken, because both men looked at him with surprise. "Headache gone yet?"

Hotch nodded, only to be struck by another wave of nauseating dizziness.

"I'm taking that as a no." Rossi laughed despite the severity of the situation.

"How's JJ?" He asked again completely ignoring Dave's mocking look.

"She's still out, steady pulse. Her fever seems bad, but until she wakes up…" Derek trailed off, tucking JJ's stray bangs behind her ear.

"There's not a whole lot we can do." Hotch surmised.

For the first time since seeing JJ in the back of the semi, Hotch got a good look at the blonde. Her face was dirtied and he could see that part of her shirt was torn.

She must have tried to fight back.

At the thought of JJ fighting whatever UnSub had them captured, he reached immediately for his gun, not surprised to find it missing.

"It's not there. Neither is your phone." Morgan spoke up, needlessly informing him as Hotch's hand felt immediately in his pocket for his phone, confirming Derek's words. "But you still have your wallet, _keys_, and credentials."

"You went through my pockets?" Hotch asked, raising an eyebrow as he searched to confirm what the other man had said was true.

Dave shrugged, "Both Morgan and I are missing only our guns and phones, we had to be sure." He explained, "The only thing we're not sure of is—" He nodded his head in JJ and Morgan's direction. "It felt wrong to…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"Check her pockets?" Hotch snorted, wincing as his head spun. "Yeah, that sounds like a pretty bad idea." Seeing Dave roll his eyes, he changed the subject. "Where are we at on the profile?"

Morgan snorted. "He left us everything but our guns. That means he's either not smart enough to take our keys—"

"Or not worried about us getting close enough to use them as a weapon." Dave finished for him, though if he and Derek hadn't already hashed this much out together, he still would have been able to finish the other man's sentence.

It was all they knew so far.

All they had to hold on to.

"Someone should check her pockets." Derek suggested, obviously shirking that particular responsibility despite the fact that he was the closest.

Dave too, looked at Hotch expectantly.

Sighing, the Unit Chief smirked at the other two men as he stood, taking a moment to get his bearings before he went to step toward JJ's limp frame.

The large room spun as he approached, but he was grateful to notice that the effects of whatever drug they had been subjected to was lessening. "So you just waited for me to wake up?" He asked as he knelt down next to JJ and Derek.

Morgan chuckled, "Pretty much."

Hotch winced as he slowly inched his hands into JJ's pockets, uncertain if he should be hoping she woke up at the touch, or hoping she stayed out to avoid awkwardness.

Though he hated to admit it since JJ presumably hadn't woken since they found her in the truck, he hoped somewhere deep inside that she stayed unconscious for this.

Because how do you explain stuffing your fingers into a woman's back pocket as you startle her awake?

That would be an awkward conversation.

JJ stirred under his fingertips, and he pulled back instantly. "JJ, can you open your eyes?"

Rossi was by their side in an instant. "Open your eyes JJ."

"JJ, are you okay?" Morgan asked, hovering over the blonde lest she need anything as she woke up.

Unfortunately, JJ stilled in Morgan's lap and the agent looked over to Hotch with a frown.

Sighing, Hotch proceeded and continued checking her pockets. He grimaced as he checked her last pocket, a pit growing in his stomach as his mind started rushing to conclusions. "There's nothing there." He explained, clearing his throat as he contemplated what that meant.

"So he didn't bother to take our _keys_, keys that could be used as a weapon?" Rossi clarified as he continued pacing. "But he took _everything_ from JJ?"

"It could just be that he stole her purse." Hotch reasoned, frowning at the thought that the reason could be far more sinister. "If she had everything in her purse, it could have just been easier to throw that away."

"But he went to the effort of leaving everything else." Dave shook his head. "That means he passed over our wallets, our keys, everything else to simply extract our phones and guns."

The three men fell silent, trying to interpret what that meant.

"It could be to strip JJ of—" Derek stopped, not liking where that train of thought was leading him, but needing to voice it rather than let it haunt him alone, "to strip her of everything and leave her vulnerable."

"But if JJ was the focus of the attack, why take us?" Dave wondered aloud.

Hotch opened his mouth to speak but before he could move, the lights illuminating the white room shut off, plunging the room into darkness as a ear piercing squeal blared through what must have been hidden speakers.

Moments later, the awful sound ended and the lights flickered on once more.

But JJ was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: I was reminded that I have yet to have an Author's Note for this story. I don't have much to say, but...sure. I debated upping the rating for this chapter, because it's kind of...uncomfortable. So, just be forewarned and mind the rating. Thank you to everyone that has reviewed so far._

**Back at the Hospital...**

Hotch didn't realize he had stopped speaking until Will spoke up. "She was just gone?" He asked, his voice cracking slightly.

The profiler frowned. This shouldn't be so hard.

JJ's father looked at them expectantly, desperate for any more information about his baby girl.

Seeing that Hotch was struggling with what happened next, Rossi stepped forward. "She was gone." Dave spoke up, confirming Hotch's story. "We thought he'd bring her back immediately, but when she wasn't back after a little while, we started to get nervous."

**Earlier...**

"He abducted us from an investigation site." Dave mused softly in the tight circle of profilers. They were aware their captor was likely watching them but this was the only thing they could do. "So he's either got balls or he's planned meticulously for this."

"How did you miss the driver of the semi?" Derek muttered.

"He wasn't there." Dave retorted quickly, having already wondered the same thing many times. "There must have been a false door—I'm telling you, he wasn't there."

"If you had just—"

"Stop it!" Hotch interrupted harshly. "This isn't helping." He looked at both men angrily. "If we can nail down the profile, we can know what we're dealing with. Arguing doesn't change that."

The three profilers fell silent.

"JJ was in the truck." Rossi stated. "So he had to have grabbed her beforehand."

"You think?" Derek scoffed.

Dave ground his teeth as he fought the weight of the situation that was wearing on him more than he'd like to admit.

Seeing Hotch's eyebrows raise in a censuring response, Derek sighed and backed down. "So it's unlikely this was related to the case we were on."

"As of right now, it's best for us to look at this as a completely separate UnSub." Hotch agreed.

The lights shut off and all three men braced themselves for the ear piercing sound that for some reason was conspicuously absent. When the light flashed back on, the only new addition to the room was a pile of clothes in the corner.

"Is that—?" Hotch trailed off, not needing confirmation for his thought.

Because right in front of them, piled in a discarded heap, were JJ's clothes.

**Back at the Hospital...**

As the group of people spoke quietly around her, JJ's subconscious was thrown back into the events that had transpired, terrorizing her for a second time.

She couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't even really comprehend the words that were spoken, but that was enough to send her mind reeling with the memory of what happened.

**Earlier...**

JJ rolled on the cold tile, immediately aware of the biting cold against her skin.

Her eyes flung open and she sat up immediately, instantly aware that she was wearing absolutely nothing.

Fighting the urge to panic, she forced a deep breath into her lungs.

Someone had taken her clothes.

She had to get out of here.

Standing shakily, she covered herself as best she could with her hands, hating the fact she couldn't remember where she was.

"I was at the drug store." She said, reminding herself aloud, frowning at her slurred words. Looking around, she noticed that she appeared to be in a long, small bathroom.

She shivered, the cold air causing gooseflesh to dot her skin as she noticed a note hanging from the mirror above the sink. It took her a minute to comprehend the words on the paper, focusing to

Shower, and clothes will be provided for you.

She tried the door, not surprised-and somewhat grateful-to find it locked.

Suddenly, she could hear the shower start and water beginning to fall, steam rolling from behind the shower doors.

'Clean yourself Jennifer.' A voice sounded through the room. 'Then we can get to know one another better.'

"Creep." JJ muttered after a moment, wondering why her mind felt so sluggish.

'If you are not willing to abide by my instructions, I will have to give you more of that gas that seems to work so well.'

Frowning, JJ relented, quickly stepping into the shower and rinsing herself off, not wanting to give this bastard the satisfaction of letting him think she was vulnerable.

She looked around, surprised by the clearly labeled automatic dispensers. Ignoring the shiny metal objects, she quickly turned trying to keep herself from thinking what more he had in store for her.

Or what he could have already done to her.

Quickly exiting, she was slightly surprised to see the water still running and no hint of what she was supposed to do next.

"I've played your stupid game." She said, looking up at the ceiling expectantly, trying not to acknowledge the fact that she was shivering and soaking wet.

'I told you to clean yourself. The dispensers did not activate. I will not watch you shower unless you force me to.' The voice reprimanded with a gentle calmness that did more to unnerve her than to comfort her.

She snorted as she rolled her eyes. "Figures." She muttered as she showered quickly, hating the fact that her fingers trembled betraying her outward confidence.

As she finished in the shower and stood at the threshold of the door, surprised this time to see the water shut off.

"I'm done now." She scoffed, refusing to allow this creep the satisfaction of thinking he had managed to make her feel insignificant.

"Patience, Jennifer." A man scolded as a hidden door emerged from the tiled room to reveal him smirking at her like one would look at a disobedient pet. Holding a towel out to her, he made no attempt to appreciate her nude body. "You will please dress quickly and meet me out here." He instructed.

"Bastard." JJ muttered, snatching the towel and crisp white cotton clothes he offered her.

The man raised an eyebrow, as if amused by her defiance, before turning his back to her and stepping out of view. JJ bit her lip and quickly dressed as she replayed the situation in her mind.

'Assess the situation.' She reminded herself from her previous bureau training. 'Then attempt to find a route for escape.'

"Jennifer?" The man called, reappearing in the doorway as he beckoned to her.

She debated stalling before reluctantly following the man's implicit command. She still didn't know what he wanted with her. Right now, she was clean and clothed, which was only a small comfort as she didn't have her weapon. He motioned for her to sit on what appeared to be a dentist's chair.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, stopping just outside the bathroom door. She jumped as the doors shut behind her with a soft woosh.

"I don't want anything from you." He said softly, holding a gun up lightly in his hands. "You will excuse the formality of my weapon. Suffice it to say it shall no longer be necessary in a moment. Now sit down."

She frowned, annoyed at his condescending attitude. "No."

"No?" He chuckled and cocked his head to the side as he looked at her like a petulant child. "No?" He laughed again as if the absurdity of the response had never entered his imagination. "And what else are you going to do, pray tell?"

"I'm going to fight you, you bastard." She bit out angrily, her fingers stretched behind her as they drug along the wall in an attempt to find the door without having to turn her back.  
Who knew what things this creep was capable of?

"And how would your son feel about that, Jennifer?" The man frowned, mocking her with every word as he spoke down to her. "When he finds out that his mother died because she couldn't do what she was told?"

JJ stopped, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "My son?"

"Why of course." The man sighed, waving the gun toward the chair as he gestured for her to obey his earlier command. "You don't think I picked you by accident? Or did you forget your son altogether?" He leaned forward, his eyes cold and menacing as he sighed, mocking her, "Henry. His name is Henry."

"I know my son's name, damn it." JJ spat angrily.

Truthfully, her mind was still taking far too long to catch up. And she still didn't know what this psycho wanted. Nor did she have any idea how long she had been out.

Unfortunately, she wasn't sure what to do next.

"I'm waiting, Jennifer." He motioned to the chair once more. "And I don't like to wait."

Reluctantly, she slowly shuffled toward the chair, eyeing the man carefully as she sat down slowly.

"There, there." He cooed, making her stomach want to roll at the demeaning tone as he grinned and secured her ankles tightly to the chair. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

JJ bit her lip, worried at what the implied threat meant.

Maybe this guy was bluffing. Maybe nothing would happen to her son.

But was she really ready to take that chance?

She looked up at him, forcing away the fear that seemed to boil inside of her, as he fiddled with something under the chair, just out of view. "Who are you?" She gulped away the terror as stood tall once more and leaned over her, the gun pointed precariously at her chest as he grinned menacingly.

"You may refer to me as Hercales." The man explained, keeping his gun pointed at her while he strapped her arms to the chair before sitting down next to her. "You are permitted to ask questions now, but that will not always be the case. This," He grinned proudly as he looked around the room, "is my domain. You may call it the Limine Dei."

She pulled against the restraints as he busied himself again with something out of her view. She bit down on the panic that threatened to wash over her, unwilling to let him see the effect he had on her.

Because the thought she couldn't voice, the fear that founded the pit in her stomach wasn't something she could answer.

What was he going to do to her?

She had a feeling, she was about to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I was reminded that I have yet to have an Author's Note for this story. I don't have much to say, but...sure. I debated upping the rating for this chapter, because it's kind of...uncomfortable. So, just be forewarned and mind the rating. Thank you to everyone that has reviewed so far._

* * *

**Back at the hospital…**

"He took her clothes?" JJ's father asked softly, still gently tracing the tape and medical tubes along JJ's arm as he ended the silent brooding mood that had overtaken the group. "What does that mean?"

Rossi faltered. How did you tell a man the horrors you had seen befall his daughter?

It wasn't fair.

Hotch waited for Derek to take his turn describing the events, but wasn't surprised that he stood silent, his eyes fixed on the sleeping blonde. Seeing that the normally cocky agent wasn't about to speak up, he sighed and spoke up again. "Again, we weren't sure what this meant…"

**Earlier…**

"What could be taking him so long?" Dave groaned, subconsciously walking out his nervous energy along the long side of the door-less room. "She's been gone almost three hours."

"She could be hurt." Hotch ground out slowly, rubbing his chin as he stood thoughtfully in one of the four corners.

The room had no windows.

They still had yet to find a door.

If it wasn't for the fact that JJ had disappeared in front of them, he almost might believe there was no door.

The UnSub had made no attempt to speak with them.

Which meant only JJ could provide details about the UnSub.

And she was missing.

"What do we know?" Derek paced along the short side of the room, pausing only long enough to rub his head in concentration before spinning on his heels. "We have to come up with a way out of here."

"If he's got our phones with him, Garcia's already tracking it." Hotch said confidently. "Protocol says we wait, to trust that the others are coming for us."

"Or, he's smart and dumped them all on the way here." Dave replied, reaching the wall and turning around to continue his pacing across the room. "In which case, if we don't get ourselves out of this we're going to rot here."

"We still don't know where JJ is. He could be using her as leverage. He could—" Hotch reasoned.

"Damn it Hotch we don't even know if it is a he." Derek spat out angrily, punching the soft white wall to vent his frustration. "We've got nothing. We're sitting ducks here!"

"Don't you think I know that Derek?" Hotch retorted quickly, his own patience wearing thin. "Don't you think I realize that we have been kidnapped, locked in a room with no way out and JJ has been taken?" He insisted incredulously, "Don't you think I realize that?"

The piercing sound and the blanket of darkness appeared simultaneously, stopping any further argument.

JJ stumbled back into the room, tripping as she fell toward Hotch who hadn't moved from his corner.

"JJ!" Hotch exclaimed in relief as he caught the blonde. He opened his mouth to say more before closing it slowly.

What more was there to say?

"Are you alright?" Rossi asked JJ, shooting Hotch a perplexed glare at the man's reaction. "What did you see."

"Dave?" JJ blinked with surprise as her hand snaked involuntarily to the thin cotton high-necked shirt she was wearing. "Derek?" She rubbed a curious looking bulge around her neck drawing all three men's attention as she glanced up to look at the man whose arms were holding her securely. "Hotch?" She gasped. "What are you all doing here?"

"We were taken JJ. Do you remember—" Rossi began before being shoved gently aside by the younger profiler.

"Jayje, what do you remember?"

"I think that can wait." Hotch spoke up, brushing off the other man's concern. "JJ, is—"

Snapping back to reality, she slid out of Hotch's arms, holding her hands up as she backed away from her friends. "Guys, stop." She shook her head, not able to take much more right now.

She shuddered as she thought of what had just happened.

What he had just done to her.

What he told her he would do to her in the future.

She couldn't take anymore. Not right now.

Surprised, Hotch, Dave, and Derek fell silent. "Let's give her a minute." Hotch suggested, though everyone in the room took it for what it was: an order. Hotch was in charge.

Even if Dave and Derek didn't know it yet.

She forced her hand away from the heavy weight on her neck, still not sure what it's purpose was but not wanting to find out.

And he had told her not to try to take it off.

At this point, she was fairly certain she didn't want to make him angry.

Seeing the way each man was looking at her closely, as if worried about what horrors could have happened to her, she forced a smile as she sighed. "Look, it's fine. I'm just…" She searched for any word that wouldn't make her lie to them, but would get her out of having to talk, "tired."

Hotch nodded, though she could still feel Derek looking at her skeptically. Dave pulled the younger profiler away, the pair beginning a hushed discussion where both kept casting her worried glances. Hotch could see easily that JJ was hiding something, but time seemed to be something they had plenty of right now.

At least, he hoped so.

"Lay down." He offered gently, this time the suggestion coming out much more gingerly than his earlier order. "You need your rest."

JJ thought of arguing, attempting to assert that she was just as capable as the rest of them. But she was exhausted.

And she knew, at least vaguely, what was to come.

She'd need all the strength she had if she was going to get through this.

"Thanks." She smiled, nodding sadly as she sat down against the wall in an attempt to find some security. After all, she reasoned, she didn't have to fall asleep, she could just lay there for a while.

Hotch hesitated, torn between joining the others and giving JJ her space and feeling a tug on his soul that told him that he couldn't leave JJ alone just yet.

"Would you like me to sit with you?" He asked after a moment, hoping not to offend her by making her think he was questioning her strength. He was surprised when she nodded softly, her eyes not bothering to open as she seemed to be quickly drifting to sleep.

He sat beside her, slightly surprised and a little worried as she didn't even stir when he scooted near her.

This was just so wrong.

On so many levels.

Dave and Derek glanced over at JJ, and Hotch could see the lines of worry crossing both of their features as they glanced over to see her already asleep. Hotch nodded gesturing for the others to approach.

"She's asleep?" Derek asked, not bothering to hide the worry that furrowed his brow.

"Hotch, this could mean—" Dave trailed off, not wanting to say the words that hung on the tip of his tongue. "We don't know what happened out there."

"No." Hotch fought a grimace at the thought, "But it won't do any good for us to speculate until she's ready to talk. So far, I think—"

JJ coughed, gagging slightly as her fingers scratched at her neck in her sleep.

"JJ, girl, it's just a dream." Derek knelt beside her, soothing her hair slightly against her temple while trying to lull her back to sleep. "It's just a dream."

She coughed, the gagging worsening as she clawed at the fabric around her neck, revealing a thick metal ring that clung tightly to her skin underneath the fabric.

"What the hell is that?" Rossi asked.

Hotch leaned forward, gingerly touching the ring surrounding her neck. All three men jumped back as JJ's back arched back violently and her arms jutted out shaking heavily before collapsing back limply to the ground.

"What—" Derek looked to Hotch, panicked. "What was that."

Hotch frowned, his own shaking hands the only sign of how awful the situation in front of them was.

Whatever that was, it was not good.

Not good at all.

**Back at the hospital…**

Just then, a nurse came into the room, "I'm afraid visiting hours are over, and you three," she looked pointedly at the three profilers who should for all intents and purposes still be wearing hospital garb, "Are supposed to stay for observation."

No one made any motion to leave, and the nurse sighed. "I can let one of you stay with her overnight, but the rest of you are going to have to go." She looked pointedly to the three men standing at the foot of JJ's bed.

"Will," Hotch sighed as he looked at the broken scruffy man. "Go home. Get some sleep."

"No." Will murmured, unable to rip his gaze from the woman he loved.

JJ's father frowned, hating the thought that his daughter could be left alone. But she wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want Henry passed off to her friends while his father withered away at her bedside. "Will, son, you need to take a break. Go home, Henry needs you."

At the mention of his son, Will seemingly snapped out of the dazed autopilot that had been the only way he had been able to function. "Henry, he's with Penelope?" He asked his voice thick and coming out more like a croak at the stunned realization that he didn't really know where his son was.

"And Nancy." Tom Jareau nodded. "We thought it'd be best for him not to see her like this." Tom swallowed thickly, not mentioning that everyone had agreed that it would only terrify the boy to see his father like that too.

But it had been days.

"Come on Will," Tom stood, looking to Hotch questioningly. "One of you will stay with her?"

Hotch nodded, "Absolutely"

"I'm not leaving her." Derek spoke up for the first time, never taking his eyes off JJ. "She can't—she won't be alone."

Hotch and Rossi shared a glance, frowning at the realization that they still didn't know what had happened between the pair.

"Derek will stay." Rossi spoke up, voicing Hotch's own thoughts.

The younger profiler didn't move as the other occupants left the room. Instead, he sat down next to JJ and took her hand.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, horrified by what he had seen.

Only he had been given a glimpse of what horrors JJ had faced.

And only he would never be able to forgive himself for not being able to help her.

**Outside JJ's hospital room...**

"Wait, Agent Hotchner?" JJ's father stopped them in the hall, waiting as Will rounded a corner out of sight. "Please. What happened out there?"

Dave stood awkwardly beside Hotch, shifting slightly. "Mr. Jareau," He sighed once he realized Hotch wasn't going to answer, "maybe it'd be best if we waited for the police, or Will..."

"I'm her _father._" He insisted. "Please. Will, he...he doesn't need to know. He can't take it right now, but what happened to my little girl?"

Dave's mouth grew dry, his voice failing him as he opened his mouth to speak and his thick tongue being weighed down by the severity of the situation.

Hotch's face blanched, and tried to force the words out.

This UnSub, he had taken something from all of them.

But mostly from JJ.

And Derek.

"What happened with Agent Morgan?" Her father asked pointedly, focusing on one area with the hopes that he could uncover the most information. "He seems..." The older man trailed off, unable to describe it.

"After we had been taken, JJ was taken a few more times." Hotch explained with a sigh, skipping forward mentally through horrific details he was certain he would have to report later, "But one time, he took Derek and JJ..."

At Hotch's trailed off beginning, Dave stepped in, "She had been so weak," His voice cracked and he tried to force himself to remain unemotional, "He took Derek too. But the next time we heard the sound..."

**Earlier…**

The sound ended and both Hotch and Rossi felt their stomachs drop at the sight of Derek, staring down at his hands in shocked horror.

"Derek, where is she?" Dave demanded as he rushed up to the other man, pounding against the wall nearest Derek in an attempt to find some hope for escape.

Morgan didn't acknowledge the other's concern, instead turning over his hands as if needing to catalogue offending weapons that he wasn't remotely familiar with.

"Derek?" Hotch prodded softly, sighing with muted frustration.

There was no way out.

And based on the younger profiler's reaction, whatever happened outside this white cell wasn't good.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, I've had an awful case of writer's block but I've got the next chapter mostly blocked out in my mind, so hopefully writer's block is over. Just FYI, not all of these flashbacks to their time with the UnSub are going to be in order. I know that makes it confusing, but it's more realistic because people don't always remember things chronologically. So all of these flashbacks will tell the story, but not necessarily in order._

* * *

**In JJ's room at the Hospital…**

Morgan couldn't seem to snap himself out of the trance he found himself in as he stared at JJ's limp body, her grayish skin only heightening the ugly bruises along her jaw line. He couldn't bring himself to look at the injuries below her face, the horror of the situation still playing out in front of him.

Despite their best efforts, they had failed. _He _had failed. And JJ had paid the price.

This just wasn't fair.

**Earlier… **

She clung to him tightly, as if certain that any moment she would be ripped away from his comforting, protective grasp.

"It's going to be okay JJ." Derek soothed, wondering how in the hell this had happened to them.

They were federal agents, this wasn't supposed to happen.

Not to them.

Not to _her._

"I'm tired." She slurred, licking her dry and cracking lips as her fingers tingled with a weird numbed response. "Tell them 'm sorry." Her words meshed together as if the effort of clearly enunciating was just beyond her physical abilities. "I—"

"JJ, girl. It's okay." He soothed, looking around as he hoped the bastard wasn't watching them. Even if he was, Derek had to help her.

Because she would do the same for him in the blink of an eye.

"You've got to fight JJ, we're going to get out of this."

"Just gonna get worse." She murmured, her eyes barely opened as she shivered in his arms.

"Hey, don't talk like that." He stopped her line of thinking gently. "You know Garcia and Reid are probably knocking on this guy's front door right now. Neither of them would ever let anything happen to you."

"I can't—I'm not strong enough." She mumbled.

"JJ, look at me." He commanded sternly as he could feel her drifting off. Her eyes snapped open, but the normally vivacious deep blues were devoid of any hope. "You are strong enough. You have to fight. We're going to get out of this."

"I don't want to—I don't want it to happen." She muttered, her voice arguably stronger yet still cause for concern.

"Want what to happen Jayje?" He asked, knowing that if he could just keep her talking long enough for them

"It's only gonna get worse." The words tumbled over themselves. "I can't—"

"What's going to get worse?" Derek asked, genuinely curious but more concerned with keeping JJ alert.

She looked at him clearly, as if mustering all of the strength within herself to clearly articulate the horror that awaited her. "He's not going to stop until he kills me." Her voice trembled as a lone tear trekked down her cheeks.

"Then you've got to _fight_ Jayje." He insisted, "Because I'm not going to let that happen. We'll get out of here, you've got to fight."

"Fight." She murmured, clearly spent.

He paused for a moment, content to simply watch her chest rise and fall with the simple knowledge that in that small moment, everything was okay.

She was alive.

That was all that mattered.

_'Agent Morgan'_ a non-descript voice called to him from seemingly the air above, _'Jennifer refuses to drink water.'_

Derek frowned as he looked down at the woman who had only clung tighter to him at the sound of the voice. "Go to hell." He ground out angrily, trying to ignore the sharp fingernails that dug into his skin.

_'I would hate for our time together to end prematurely Jennifer.' _The voice reprimanded, the soft condescending tone surprising Morgan. This whole damn situation just didn't make sense.

Citing his need to delay whatever malevolent intentions this bastard had, Morgan pulled JJ even closer as he looked up at the ceiling, unable to see any camera but knowing the UnSub was watching. "What the hell do you want from her? Leave her alone!"

_'Jennifer is but collateral damage.'_ The voice chuckled, _'My real intentions are for you Agent Morgan. You and Agent Hotchner, and Agent Rossi.'_

The words stopped Derek cold as he felt a wave of dread wash over him.

Sadistic UnSub targetting JJ meant that while he would put her through hell, he wouldn't want to kill the object of his desires.

Sadistic UnSub targeting the rest of them? That was an entirely different story.

A much scarier story.

_'The water, Agent Morgan.' _The voice reminded Derek gently.

Derek sighed, hating himself as he shifted JJ in his arms to reach toward the small bowl of water just outside their reach. "Jayje." His voice caught as she saw her eyes open slightly to look at him and widen with realization as she caught sight of the bowl in his hands.

She shook her head ever so slightly, "Nnnn." She murmured, unable to say anything more.

"Jayje, look at me." He commanded. "I'm going to get us out of this. I promise. You've got to trust me. Okay?" He paused waiting for a reaction. When she didn't respond, he shook her slightly, "Jayje? Okay?"

"-kay" She sighed, creaking her eyes open as she fought to stay conscious.

"Okay, but I need you to drink this first, okay? I'll help you." He cradled her in his arms and lifted the small bowl to her lips. He winced as she coughed and sputtered while trying to sip the water gingerly.

He had to get her out of this.

He had to.

**Back at the Hospital... **

The next morning, Will found himself itching to burst back into JJ's room. But the doctors and nurses looming over his limp girlfriend, obviously running multiple tests made him stop just outside the doorway, taking solace for just a moment that Morgan had never left her side.

"She's going to be okay." A voice from behind him spoke up. Will didn't need to turn to acknowledge the presence, identifying Hotch almost instantly.

Will nodded, not trusting his voice to adequately respond.

"The doctors are hopeful." Rossi agreed, leaving the pure severity of JJ's injuries unmentioned. The seriousness of the situation weighed on all of them—it was hardly something that needed to be acknowledged.

They were all aware how close JJ seemed to be teetering on the edge between life and death.

"Why?" Will croaked out. "Why her?"

Dave turned, for the first time in his life completely unable to face the issue straight on.

"He wasn't after her." Hotch sighed sadly.

"What?" Will asked incredulously. "But if he wasn't after her—then what the hell happened? Why…?" The younger man tried to wrap his mind around Hotch's veiled explanation.

Dave closed his eyes as he remembered more than he ever wanted to.

"The UnSub," Hotch's voice cracked uncharacteristically, "wasn't after JJ. He was after us."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story._

* * *

**Earlier…**

JJ was aware of the dry thickness of her tongue as her senses began to return to her. She creaked one eye open, praying that this entire experience would just be some horrific nightmare.

It wasn't.

Feeling a flood of relief as the white walls of the cell where she was being held with the others, JJ relaxed slightly as she allowed herself to return to consciousness.

"JJ!" Derek cried desperately, apparently seeing her stirrings, though she couldn't really place the reason behind his anxiety. Other than the fact they were being held by a sociopath, she reminded herself.

Oh yeah, other than that.

"Wassumatter?" She slurred, surprised at how weak her voice sounded. Blinking slowly as her eyes adjusted to the bright lights in the room, she realized Derek was currently cradling her in his arms. Turning her head less than a degree, she noticed Hotch and Rossi standing over her.

"We need to get her out of here. Now." Morgan told Rossi and Hotch urgently. Dave and Hotch hadn't left this room. They didn't know what was out there.

Derek had a sickening feeling that he only had a vague idea of the horrors that awaited their friend.

And he had to protect her.

"We have to assume we're being watched." Hotch surmised, glancing around the bland white room. "So we're going to need a plan."

"But any plan we come up with is going to fail." Rossi frowned. "We've lost the element of surprise."

"I don't give a damn about the element of surprise." Derek spat. "Look at her! He's - - "

"He 'oesn't want me." She mumbled, her voice only slightly more coherent than it had been before as she interrupted Derek's tirade.

But she had to let them know. She had to tell them.

Because despite Hercales's promises to the contrary, she was sure she was never going to get out of this alive.

More importantly, she had to get them out of there.

"What do you mean JJ?" Hotch asked gently, kneeling down at JJ's other side.

JJ fought against the uncomfortable pang that filled her body. "He's...trying...to..." She stumbled over the words as the pain gradually increased before mercifully ending completely.

"I think" A disembodied voice spoke from speakers where the sound had to have emanated from, "that despite instructions to the contrary, Jennifer is trying to tell you my plan. I should have anticipated she would be unable to follow those instructions."

"What do you want with her?" Dave shouted angrily, looking up at the ceiling as if this monster might finally reveal himself.

"Ahh, you see Agent Rossi, Jennifer is just a vessel to further the purpose." There was a smile behind the voice that made the men shift uncomfortably. "We all have our roles to play in fulfilling the quest to the gods."

"And what is your role?" Hotch asked, finally glad for some opportunity to do something. To learn something about their UnSub. Up until now, he had felt utterly useless.

Now they were getting somewhere.

"My purpose is enlighten you to your standing. Once you realize who you are, Jennifer will have served her purpose and her soul can return to the peace that awaits her among those who fell short of perfection." The voice explained as if it was obvious.

The three men shared a look as the profile began to take shape.

Delusional.

Narcissitic.

"You are on your pathway to the gods." There was an excited, almost hyper, tone that the voice possessed as it continued to explain, "And the only way you can continue your quest is to remove the ties that bind you to this world."

"How do we do that?" Morgan asked quickly, glancing down at the woman in his arms. "How do we remove those ties?" He pressed.

He had to save her.

And if that meant selling his soul to the devil, he was willing to do it.

Because JJ didn't deserve this.

To his horror, the answer was not some simple task that might free them all. Instead, the cold voice replied, "You have to kill her. You have to kill Jennifer."

**At the Hospital...**

"You?" Will asked, horrified as he turned from where he had been captivated by watching JJ. "You did this?" He asked the profilers in disbelief.

"No." Dave choked out as he and Hotch exchanged a glance. "No, we didn't."

"We couldn't." Hotch agreed.

"Maybe it would have been better if you had." Will murmured, glancing back at his broken girlfriend.

Exposure.

Infection.

Recovery time.

Odds of survival.

All of these phrases tumbled around in the Cajun's mind and as he looked at the shell of the woman he had loved for so long, he felt sick.

Maybe it all would have been better if she had never suffered at all.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story._

* * *

**At the hospital…**

JJ's father stepped up from behind the men, he too not able to wait until visiting hours had started before arriving at the hospital. "But you must have escaped."

Hotch gulped guiltily and nodded. "We did escape." He mumured.

"How?" Will asked in a choked sob, not bothering to look back at the men who had endured hell itself alongside the mother of his child.

"We did what we had to do." Rossi shrugged, brushing aside his own feelings of guilt.

Maybe if they hadn't been so damn impatient.

Maybe if they had listened to her.

Maybe if they all hadn't been so desperate to be the hero.

Maybe they would have gotten her out without almost killing her.

**Earlier...**

They smelt the smoke before anything else. Thick dense burning seeped through the thick panelling seconds before a door appeared, allowing the smoke to billow into the room.

A tall lanky man stood in the doorway. "You've got to get out of here." He insisted, his voice easily recognizable as their hidden captor.

"Where is she?" Derek coughed, his visibility lessening as smoke filled the room.

"It doesn't matter. You've got to get out of here. You have a purpose- -"

Hotch ran from the room, seemingly unbothered by the betrayed looks given by his colleagues as he stopped just in front of their tormentor. "Where is she?"

"In a room down the hall." The man admitted, pushing Hotch slightly as he guided him out of the room they had been held in. "But there's no time."

The man, relieved that one of his 'charges' had listened, didn't notice Hotch's elbow coming up quickly, the stronger man easily knocking him out. "Come on, we've got to find her and get out of here." Hotch caughed, pushing his way through the growing smoke in the hallway.

**At the hospital...**

The doctors stepped out of her room, and for one moment Hotch felt his heart stop at the thought of what horrible information the doctors could add to their already taxed shoulders. When JJ's doctor offered a small grim smile, the profiler almost felt he could breathe again.

"How is she?" Will asked the question that weighed on all of their minds.

The doctor smiled reassuringly, "We are still cautiously optomistic." His face grew serious. "Her lungs are still a major concern, but we are hopeful."

Dave closed his eyes in quiet relief, unable to listen to anymore of the doctor's information.

She was going to be okay.

Despite the fact they had royally fucked up everything, she was going to be okay.

At least, that's what he could hope for.

**Earlier...**

It took them only minutes to find her. Precious minutes that ticked against the clock as they fought to find their colleague.

They couldn't leave her behind.

Not ever.

"Right here!" Derek cried, throwing his weight behind a large thick door as he attempted to force it to open. He coughed as he willed the door to open.

"What makes you think it's here?" Hotch asked, moving down the hall slightly and ripping another door open.

"This is the only one that's locked." Morgan reasoned.

That was good enough for the rest of them. All three men pried the door open, unwilling to be detered by the smoke that was beginning to grow more and more dense. Feeling the door creak open slightly, each man felt a surge of exhilliration, pushing them forward.

Entering the room, it didn't take a second for all three men to be at JJ's side.

"Come on Jayje, we've got to get out of here." Derek insisted, sliping his arms under the broken woman and lifting her easily.

He glanced at both Hotch and Rossi, feeling their worry grow as JJ didn't even stir.

Rossi coughed lightly, reminding the men of the growing need to evacuate as quickly as possible.

"Come on!" Hotch led the way, turning left outside the room, away from the direction the other men had come.

JJ stirred slightly, jostled by Derek's hurried urgency. "Mmm," She moaned, creaking one eye open just enough to catch a glimpse of her surroundings.

"It's going to be okay Jayje." Derek coughed, following Hotch with Rossi bringing up the rear. "We're going to get you out of here."

"Not this way." JJ murmured. "Don't- -" She croaked, the effort draining any reserve of strength she may have had.

And that was the moment that would haunt all three profilers.

That was the moment where if everything was bad before, the world had gone straight to hell.

Because that was the moment they ignored her.

"I think it's this way." Hotch pointed, gesturing to a door in front of them.

"Let's go." Derek agreed, his spirits soaring as he saws the door surrounded by two large windows that clearly led outside.

"What are you waiting for?" Dave asked impatiently, "Get us the hell out of here."

If any of them knew the consequences, they would take it back in a second.

Pushing the door open, Hotch coughed as the pure clean air filled his lungs, feeling a surge of gratitude that they were safe.

It was over.

As Derek stepped over the threshold, all three men sighed with relief, allowing the fresh air to expunge the awful tar from their systems.

JJ coughed, clutching at the awful thick metal ring around her neck as if it were a weight holding her down.

Then everything went to hell as JJ began to seize.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **First, I have to send out a major thank you to my beta, Brynn for sticking with me through the immense writer's block that struck at the end of this story. Second, to all of you readers who waited so patiently, and prodded me to finish this, this is for you.

* * *

**At the hospital…**

"And that's it?" JJ's father asked incredulously, waiting on pins and needles as the others fell silent with the gravity of their memories. "She started to seize and…?" He prodded, incensed that they would stop the story there.

"And we stopped it." Rossi bristled, not realizing he had voiced the memory of one of the worst moments of his life. They slipped into JJ's hospital room, unnoticed by Morgan whose gaze was affixed at JJ's still crippled form. but unable to stop himself from falling back to the memory that would haunt him for years to come.

**Earlier…**

"What do we do?" Rossi asked, feeling himself ravel out of control as he involuntarily stepped back, unable to bear what was happening in front of him. "Somebody do something!" He ordered.

"Turn her on her side." Hotch instructed, feeling completely useless as he ran his hand through his hair, afraid to touch her for the fear he might break her further. "How did this happen?"

Derek silently knelt down beside her shaking form, gingerly reaching out to touch her as he guided her onto her side.

"The thing…" Dave observed, horrified. Gesturing to the metal ring around JJ's neck, his voice dropped involuntarily. "The thing, it could be like a failsafe switch."

"I can't get it off." Derek stated unnecessarily, a hint of terrified desperation in his voice. "How…" His mouth felt dry and he felt his fingers trembling as JJ's shaking subsided slightly. _I wish Reid was here._ He thought, not bothering to correct himself at wishing his best friend had joined them in the focus of a sociopath. "What do we do?"

"Maybe…" Hotch forced himself to think, hating the terror that seemed to cripple him. "Maybe there's a remote trigger? If we get her far enough away, maybe it will stop."

"You really think that will work?" Morgan asked, needing the reassurance as JJ trembled viciously in his arms.

"How should I know?" Hotch spat,

"Stop it! Both of you!" Rossi shouted, hating how long this conversation was taking. In reality, not even seconds were passing, but they were running out of time. "Will it work?" He asked Hotch pointedly.

"I have no idea." Hotch admitted honestly. "But it's the only idea we have."

"We could take her back inside?" Derek offered. "Maybe—"

"The building is _on fire_, Morgan." Rossi reminded urgently. "Let's make a decision, make it now. We don't have time to sit around and discuss all the alternatives. You think this will work?" He looked to Hotch with an authoritative air.

"I think that's the best chance we have." Hotch nodded, gulping down the pit in his stomach with fear that he could be wrong. "Get her far away, it might stop."

"It might ruin our chance for being found." Rossi observed, not because he had any doubt of what they should do, but needing to state the obvious anyway.

"Who cares about that?" Derek shook his head, picking up JJ into his strong arms and feeling a rush of fear at the electrical heat that was radiating from the thing around her neck. "You said it yourself, make a decision and we do it now."

"So what do we do?" Rossi asked. "Do we go?"

Hotch glanced over at JJ who lay limply in Morgan's arms. "We go." He said decisively, leaving no more room for questions.

There wasn't time for arguing.

**Back at the Hospital…**

Rossi's voice trailed off as he met the unforgiving, horrified gaze of Will and JJ's father.

"We thought it was the only option." He offered lamely.

"The thing—the thing on her neck, we were right. Once we got her away, it was out of range, it didn't hurt her anymore." Hotch defended their actions weakly.

Because really, what more was there to say?

We're sorry?

We are sorry that we ran further into the woods when a highway was only two miles in the other direction?

We are sorry that not only did we fail to protect her, but it is our fault she was hurt so badly?

There weren't enough words to describe the guilt they felt.

There weren't enough words to describe how much Will and JJ's father should hate them.

Nor were there enough words to describe how much they hated themselves.

"She's going to be okay." Will assured, and if it wasn't for the hollow tone and the black circles under his eyes, they would almost believe he was still holding out hope. "She's a fighter, she will be okay. The doctors said so."

The other men simply fell silent, unable to correct him but likewise unable to face the fear that maybe she just was not strong enough to overcome this particular challenge.

"How long were you in the forest?" JJ's father asked, his voice breaking as he searched for more details that might make this entire story make sense.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot more clarity they could add to the situation.

"A day." Morgan coughed from the chair, his voice cracking as he suddenly joined the conversation. "It was only a day." He reaffirmed.

**Earlier…**

"Has she woken up yet?" Hotch asked, already knowing the answer, but incapable of stopping the question.

There wasn't anything else to do.

They ran until they had found a clearing near a creek and set up emergency flares to be found. Now they sat, watching while Morgan tried to cradle JJ carefully while Dave rummaged around for something.

He just felt so useless.

"No." Derek grimaced, hating that the only sign that she was even alive was the massive heat radiating from her and the soft rising and falling of her chest that signified that at least she was still breathing.

It was something.

Rossi rummaged through a pile of rocks, sending them tumbling which caused both Hotch and Morgan to jump at the loud sound, the events of the last several days sending their anxiety into overdrive.

"What the hell are you doing, Dave?" Hotch spat, jumping up with pent up energy for the simple fact that there was _nothing_ he could do.

"I'm trying to find something we can use as a cup." Dave growled, not bothering to feel apologetic in light of the danger of the situation. "She needs water."

"What the hell are you thinking? This has got to be infested by germs and—" Morgan fumed.

"Look, I'm doing the best I can." Rossi shot back, any patience he might have had flying out the window. "But she needs water. It's the best I've got."

"She can't drink if she's out cold." Hotch observed.

"We will figure that out when we get there." Dave retorted. "Damn it, one step at a time I can't do everything—" He trailed off as the distinct sound of a helicopter sounded overhead, drawing closer as the three men stood and waved their arms noticeably and nearly collapsing with relief as the rescue helicopter hovered over their location and started to descend.

**At the hospital…**

"And they brought her here." Hotch added, his voice trailing off as there was nothing more to say.

Tom Jareau sighed, feeling the entire weight of the world on his shoulders. He thought knowing might make it easier.

Instead, everything was all just so much harder.

Agent Morgan stood, vacating the chair that he had been sitting in all night and allowing JJ's father to take his place.

"Oh Jenny-Bean." He felt tears stinging the back of his eyes in the same way they had for the last several days. He didn't know what to say, what words he could offer to bring back his daughter from the prison that held her consciousness back.

This was his baby girl.

It just wasn't fair.

His eyes snapped toward a movement he was sure he had to have imagined, his mouth dropping open in shock when it happened again.

Her fingers moved.

On their own.

Slowly, but unmistakably, her fingers on her right hand raised and lowered with a wave of relief rushing over every person in the room as the movement continued.

It wasn't a lot. It wasn't anything that under normal circumstances would have ever been even heralded as an effort.

But this, after everything, this was a miracle.

She was alive.


End file.
